Siberian lifestyle

Altai mountains, 2012

Almost a year has passed since we went to Altai. It’s a wonderful place with its own atmosphere where you are surrounded only by nature: great mountains, beautiful fields, clouds… It’s impossible to describe all the emotions after visiting this place.
If you visit Russia, and especially Siberia – I recommend that you see this place with your own eyes :)

Actually, there are a lot of bustling places, generally it is tourist camps with a great number of small, cheap houses because, anyway, the majority of people prefer reliable vacation, that means they pay money and don’t need to worry where to stay or what to eat. Everything is thought-out.

But we don’t look for easy ways out and go on road-less-travelled trips! :)

Attention! Too many photographs!

It’s early morning and we are ready to go! We have a week to reach Ukok Plateau and get back home.

It’s a typical Russian garage cooperative. We went here to get the car ready for the trip.

We’re already on our way to Altai mountains.

The morning after our first stop.

Some of us (lucky people!) slept in tents and sleeping bags. We slept in the car :)

Keep going.

The nearer Ukok Plateau the fewer people we meet.

Actually not so many people go to the plateau because the road is rather difficult. The asphalted highway on this photo is about to end soon. After that the macadam road will relieve it.

It’s really cold outside at night.

Men are blowing off tires not to damage them by big stones.

Deserted mine. Or something like that, I’m not sure.

Here we are about to start traverse of the mountain pass Teplyi kluch that leads to Ukok.

The mountain pass Teplyi Kluch. There is a precipice on the right. And a road slope.

And snow! In August!

On the highest point of the pass we found a hut for travellers to wait out a storm.

The hut inside.

Ukok Plateau itself. Unfortunately we didn’t take photos of what was going on when we waded through the mud and water.

Information plate. There are general information about the plateau, what is forbidden, etc.

One more little house :) They are constructed to stay in.

China-Russia border is in front of us.

Going back home. This time through another mountain pass which is much better :)